[T]he U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO, 2009) reports that CBP explained increases in apprehensions made at checkpoints in some border sectors to improved CBP operations and decreases in apprehensions in other sectors to the deterrent effects of improved CBP technologies and increased staffing. [emphases in the original]

Well. Who knew it could be so easy? No wonder the administration claims that border security has never been better. Why don’t we just declare success and furlough all those Border Patrol agents? It would save a ton of taxpayer money.

The postscript to the story: In classically dry, understated fashion, RAND concludes, "Clearly, a measure that reflects successful performance whether it rises or falls has limited value as a management tool."

The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit research organization founded in 1985.
It is the nation's only think tank devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic,
fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States.